(Spoiler free)
The first half had me confused, but I still really enjoyed it, (thanks lian for subbing, or else I would have been confused for the rest). The setting and main plot isn't usually my cup of tea, but it's good to step out of your comfort zone.

The million dollar question, which a lot of people were wondering: Is it a censored BL or hints at it? My personal take is if you want to watch it as so, then yeah, but if you don't think it is, then it's not. It's really up to the watchers imagination. I found it a bit suspicious at parts, definitely gave a vibe, especially in the last few episodes. No matter if it is or not, I really enjoyed the main lead's friendship and relationship dynamic.

What I liked/didn't like:

Cons-
1. The opening was way too long for such a short runtime. It was okay for a couple episodes, but 20? Not necessary.
2. The characters were boring, and no one really had a good backstory. Again, there was little screen time, but it's important to give some insight to the characters... Even the ML's just seemed to magically come into existence. I had/have so many unanswered questions.

Pros-
1. The bromance. After watching so many romance dramas recently, it's nice to see a (mostly) platonic pairing once in a while. I really felt like they had chemistry and the friendship felt realistic, comfortable, and fun.
2. The comedy aspect. The story seems fairly dark, however, it was quite lighthearted and funny. Wei ji, as dumb as he was, certainly was amusing and I enjoyed his personality.
3. Cinematography, Set, & Clothes. I don't like the 1900s historical setting, but Feng Guan Yu gave a New York mobster from the 50's vibe, which is rather specific, but it fit the story well.

Stand by me, overall, was fun and interesting. Worth checking out.